coral list advice please

[prow]

hi everyone, hope all is well. anyway i have been working on my coral list and have my first draft/list. the lighting fish list and creatures are staying i need advice with the corals. i know most of the ones that need room or cant be touched but not sure on which are cool with being touched and who who is cool with touching them.hope you know what i mean. also any toxic issues with them. i know about one the Blue Acropora (Acropora sp.) and softies. ok here is the system

Tank……: 72x18x20H acrylic 150lbs live rock 1/2" sandbed

Filtration..: 45 gal. Sump with 30lbs of Miracle Mud and growing red Gracilaria
: 20 inch Coralife 18watt T5 10k light going 24/7.
: Sedra 1200gph and 586gph (total of 1786gph) pumps for the sump return
: 2- Penguin 550 Powerheads (Marineland) 145gph. ea. (in main tank)

Lighting : 2- Icecap 660 Electronic Ballasts.
: 6-80watt 60” T5HO lights divided as follows:
; 2 - 6000K ATI Sun bulbs
; 1 - 6500K GE Starcoat bulb
; 2 – ATI True Actinic bulbs
; 1 - 11K ATI Aqua Blue bulb

Fish List:

1-Green clown goby (Gobioudon atrangulatrus)
1-Yellow clown goby (Gobioudon okiwawee)
5-Dispar anthias (Mirolabrichthys dispar)
2-Lineatus fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lineatus)
1-Canary blenny (Meiacanthus ovalaunensis)
1-Regal angel (Pygoplites diacanthus )
2-False percula clown (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1-Kole yellow eye tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus )


Creatures:

2-Feather duster (Sabellastarte sp.)
2- Dwarf colored feather duster (Bispira sp.)
2-Cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis))
1-Electric blue hermit crab (Calcinus elegans)
5-Zebra hermit crabs (Calcinus laevimanus)
5-Red legged mexican hermit crab (Clibanarius digueti)
1-Red flame serpent starfish (Ophioderma rubicundum)
1-Tiger serpent starfish (Ophiolepsis superba)
2- Turbo snail mexican (Turbo fluctuosa)
10-Nassarius snail (Nassarius vibex)
10-Turbo snails (Turbo fluctuosa)

Corals:

LPS
White bubble (Plerogyra sp.)
Elegance (Catalaphyllia jardinei)
Cynarina button (Cynarina sp.)
Candy cane (Caulastrea furcata)
Orange tube (Tubastrea aurea)
Lobophyllia brain (Lobophyllia spp.)
Red open brain (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi )

SPS
Blue Acropora (Acropora sp.)
Birdsnest (Seriatopora hystrix)
Merulina (Merulina ampliata)

Leather
Carnation tree (Dendronephthya sp.)
Yellow Fiji leather (Sarcophyton elegans)
Toadstool leather (Sarcophyton sp.)
Green tree (Nepthea sp.)

Misc. Coral
Red finger gorgonia (Diodogorgia nodulifera)
Green lace gorgonia (Gorgonia species)
Blue mushroom (Actinodiscus sp.)

Clams
Crocea clam (Tridacna crocea)
Maxima clam (Tridacna maxima)

so what do you guys think.

 

[NaH2O]

I have a couple of comments. I'm not much of a fan for mixed reefs. I personally feel the environmental conditions for SPS are different than LPS and softies. Be sure with any livestock purchase, you look it over very well. I believe the Elegance coral has a poor success rate, so if you haven't read up on their care, I encourage you to do so. Try and get your tank environment as close to the natural habitat as you can. Here is a good article. It has some great info on placement, feeding, water movement, etc. Cataphyllia; What's Wrong with your Elegance Coral. Also, when you asked about touching....it is good practice to wear gloves when handling corals. Some hobbyists are sensitive to a corals "stings", some develop a sensitivity over time, while others don't seem to be bothered at all. If you get into the habit of wearing gloves early on, then you won't have a concern.

Hope this helps a bit, until Anthony shares his thoughts

 

[reedman]

Have to agree with Nikki. Mixing that many different corals is not only going to be difficult, it will be very unnatural.

You should find a species that you like and stick to that. If that is not possible, at least pick a genus and choose specimens within that genus. You can have a variety of colors and shapes, but still have similar needs for flow, light, food, etc.

It seems boring and dull in the beginning, but over time it will be a healthier and much more stable environment (and will look good too).

 

[prow]

I have a couple of comments. I'm not much of a fan for mixed reefs. I personally feel the environmental conditions for SPS are different than LPS and softies. Be sure with any livestock purchase, you look it over very well. I believe the Elegance coral has a poor success rate, so if you haven't read up on their care, I encourage you to do so. Try and get your tank environment as close to the natural habitat as you can. Here is a good article. It has some great info on placement, feeding, water movement, etc. Cataphyllia; What's Wrong with your Elegance Coral. Also, when you asked about touching....it is good practice to wear gloves when handling corals. Some hobbyists are sensitive to a corals "stings", some develop a sensitivity over time, while others don't seem to be bothered at all. If you get into the habit of wearing gloves early on, then you won't have a concern.

Hope this helps a bit, until Anthony shares his thoughts

thanks for the advice. i am aware of the recent problems concerning the elegance and what to look for in order to avoid the sickly ones. i think i mihgt be one of the not so sensitive ones when handling corals. i think because i surf a lot(have been for about 25 years) and have been stung and stepped on many corals erchins ect.. think i built up an immunity over the years to most stings but good idea with the gloves i am a little scared to handle the elegance because i know the have a strong sting. i am also aware of the Blue Acropora (Acropora sp.) haveing a hard time with the noxous secreations of the leather corals but have not heard anything else about it other than they just dont thrive but do ok need feeback on this one. i am willing to trade the sps in for something that can deal with a strong current. so if you have any idea the sps here are planned to be placed on the top so lots of light and in the main current which is rather strong. not to many softies or lps can deal with the current or light at the top so suggestions if any please do tell.

 

[NaH2O]

I think you have the right idea on SPS, as far as flow goes...they do tend to favor a stronger current. If it is an absolute mixing SPS with LPS and softies...try and keep the SPS away from the LPS (especially sweeper tentacles), and up stream from the secretions of the softies. I'm glad you have done your research on the Elegance coral - it will hopefully help, and you'll end up being a success story.

I am interested in what Anthony has to share

 

[prow]

I am interested in what Anthony has to share

thanks for the advice. i am interested too. i am aware of somethings and how to deal with it but know better than to see things in just one way. plus i have really no idea which corals are more noxous than others just know some of the them but again no idea who is sensitive to whos secreations. one thing i am trying to do is pick and get corals collected from the same region. i know this is a small thing but i think it helps alot because the corals might have at least been exposed to some of the secreations and built up some resistance. at least i hope. thanks again for the help be talking to you soon.